outside groups spent more than a billion on the election, many of those groups do not seem to have gotten much for that money. i wonder if they would do with it if they could get it back. dh it if they could get it back. "first look" is up next. snow, rain and dangerous winds hit the storm-battered northeast. a victory for president obama. now he returns to washington to deal with a serious financial disaster. and dodging traffic. a nasty auto accident caught on tape along with a pedestrian who walked away from it. good morning everyone. i'm lynn berry, those stories and more on straight ahead. this is "first look" on msnbc.

if you can believe it, more mystery for residents in the northeast as a powerful nor'easter batters airs yas already hit hard by hurricane sandy. this storm is packing winds of over 60 miles per hour and dumped as much as a foot of snow in some areas. there are already reports of downed trees and power lines and more than a thousand flights have been canceled. katherine craig is braving the elements for us this morning. katherine? >> reporter: good morning from staten island, already hard hit by sandy. everyone is dealing with these piles of debris, a huge mound covered with snow as well. you drive through certain neighborhoods on staten island and this is the scene. you have stranded cars covered be snow, power lines covered with snow as well. half a foot of snow fell onto parts of staten island. the rain started falling about 11:00 yesterday morning. we were here for that. the snow started falling shortly thereafter. it continued to fall through the

night and ending very early this morning. it covered downed power lines, also the cars that were damaged by floodwaters. then even more people lost electricity. approximately 14,000 utility customers have no electricity. that supp from 9,400 as staten islanders have been trying to recover. they've been cleaning up inside and outside of their homes if they even can be at their home. evacuation centers were made up and buses available. sanitation crews have been very busy, working around the clock picking up piles of debris. we've seen them out here plowing the snow off the roadways. that's the latest from staten island. i'm katherine craig, back to you. >> what a mess. nbc meteorologist bill karins is tracking the storm. how ominous, that huge pile of debris covered in snow? >> five or six inches of snow, too. it looks horrible. the good news is the snow will melt in a hurry.

with this storm we really had the elements where we were mostly concerned about the coast, the no dune protections anymore. the stormunder achieved with waves, storm surge and wind. with all of those, we can deal with the snow. it will be gone shortly. as far as the totals, very impressive. connecticut got nailed a lot worse than expected. dan berry almost nine inches. one location in central jersey was about 12 inches, but there wasn't a lot of high reports near there. we have to verify that. central park in new york city had almost five inches which is unheard of this early in the season. the storm almost looks like a tropical storm. it's wrapping warmer air into new england. the roads will melt in a hurry in especially the high traffic areas. the snow has just about ended in the white. a little left here. the big heavy snows are done with in just about all areas.

so we're going to deal with rain, drizzle and strong gusty winds. if there's going to be any wind damage this morning, it's going to be out here on cape cod. providence, good wind. we have been gusting in the 50s for the last couple hours over the island and all through cape cod. that's the only issue with the storm left. as i mentioned, the temperatures are starting to go above freezing especially the big cities. the highways will see improvement as we go throughout the morning. the forecast goes into the 40s. later today they're showing zero problems on the roads in all these locations. we should be in the 50s on friday, so it will be gone. there's another big storm behind this one. blizzard warnings in montana, north dakota and idaho. they'll deal with the next big storm in the rockies. that one is not headed east. >> there's a bit of a relief. president obama is back at the white house this morning where he's going to begin to work with congress on taxes, spending and the national debt. to avoid that so-called fiscal cliff.

nbc's tracie potts is in washington with the latest on that. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning everyone. the party is over now in chicago. he's back here, and the real work begins starting with the economy including that fiscal cliff that you mentioned. taxes and budget problems that could kick in by the end of this year. >> i am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. >> reporter: fresh off his election victory, president obama's already been on the phone with top democrats and republicans in congress urging them to compromise before america falls off the fiscal cliff. what's that? long-term unemployment benefits and the 2% payroll tax cut expiring, a big cut in medicare payments, and your taxes going up january 1 if congress doesn't act. plus, another $500 billion in cuts at the pentagon. boeing, the military's second largest supplier, already announced a second round of executive layoffs. >> nobody wants to see this

fiscal cliff without a deal because the cuts are severe and the tax increases are severe and so we've got to find a path forward. >> reporter: on capitol hill leaders signaled compromise. >> compromise is not a dirty word. i want to work together, but i want everyone to also understand you can't push us around. >> i'm not suggesting we compromise on our principles, but i am suggesting that we commit ourselves to creating an atmosphere where we can see common ground where it exists and seize it. >> reporter: post election, the same president, the same balance of power in congress, and the same problems that divided a nation. you might remember before the election the president said he thought he could come up with a deficit deal within six months of being re-elected. lynn, now the clock is ticking. >> now we'll see. thank you. now that the dust is settling, last night on "politics nation,"

the reverend al sharpton stroke to obama campaign strategist david axelrod about his confidence in winning those crucial swing states. >> i always had confidence in the end we would win this campaign. i had confidence because i believed that what the president was fighting for would garner a majority in the country. the notion that we should build an economy that's centered around the middle class and those who are fighting to get into the middle class, that that's how you build a strong economy, not from the top-down, not through trickle down. and i believed in him. ultimately it's not just about the positions you take. it's about the two people who are running. >> you can watch "politics nation" with reverend al sharpton each weekday at 6:00 p.m. eastern time here on msnbc. congressman jesse jack some junior won re-election but could lose with the feds.

former congresswoman gabby giffords goes face to face with the man who tried to assassinate her. details are next. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. try running four.ning a restaurant is hard, fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do

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plenty of other stories making news this morning. the "chicago sun times" reports illinois congressman jesse jackson jr. is talking with federal prosecutors about a possible plea deal. jackson easily won re-election tuesday while being treated at the mayo clinic for bipolar disorder and depression. the feds are looking into whether jackson may have improperly used campaign funds to pay for decorating his home. today for the first time since she was gunned down exactly 22 months ago, former arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords will come face to face with the man who tried to assassinate her. jared loughner will be sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to the murders of six people and the wounding of 13 others. giffords husband, mark kelly, will also be in court reading a letter on his wife's behalf. the election in florida is still too close to call in the

presidential contest. and in another florida race, republican congressman alan west is demanding a recount despite the fact that he's trailing democrat patrick murphy by nearly 2,500 votes considered outside the margin for a recount. at least 48 are dead after a massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake in guatemala. cameras rolled as an aftershock hit during a briefing by the country's president and his sign language interpreter. this is remarkable. take a look at the upper right-hand part of your screen. that's a woman surviving after getting crushed by three cars while trying to cross the street. if you can believe it, she only suffered non-life-threatening head injuries. this is your first look at scrambled politics. the obama team was surprised at how fast the race was called tuesday night. just how surprised? the president and his immediate family were alone in their hotel suite when the word came down.

top staffers in with another room as news began to spread. wasting no time to cash in on post election analysis, a new ebook called "why romney lost" is available online tomorrow. it is written by david frum who worked in the george w. bush white house. rush limbaugh who famously declared his hope would be that president obama would fail, wasn't too happy about the results and tried to cheer up the right. >> conservatism did not lose. it's difficult to beat santa claus in a country where the option is santa claus or work. shops putting up figurineses, one merchant said the president and first lady are special and italian politicians don't count for much.

along a beach in india, a sand artist celebrated obama's re-election by building a sculpture featuring the president, the american flag and a model of the white house on the beach. but that ask nothing compared to this. in kenya, the president's father was born. it is a bipartisan baby tribute. a new mom named one of her twin sons after both candidates. she said in keeping with how they placed, the first son was blamed barack obama, the second is mitt romney. how do you explain that 30 years down the road? you know all those people that flooded your facebook feed with facebook chatter? young people were all over it on election day. older people dominated during the debates. that's your morning dish of scrambled politics. according to a new study the smell of fear is real and contagious. female test subjects who were exposed to sweat by fear responded by looking scared.

they were also able to sniff out and catch other emotions like disgust. humans can now join most animals who use smell to communicate with others. let's head to wall street where u.s. and asian markets suffered hard losses. the dow plunged 312, the s&p fell 33, the nasdaq tumbled 74. in tokyo the nikkei sank 135 points while in hong kong the hang sang shot down 532. in post election day drop for the dow, it was the fifth largest since 1900. as wall street responded to the elections with the sell-off that congress and the fears won't be able to avoid the fiscal cliff we told you about earlier. a california judge refused to issue a preliminary injunction to stop dish network's digital video recorder. airlines could be stuffed like turkeys this thanksgiving as an airline trade group estimates travel will be on the rise with

ought most 24 million travelers flying from friday, november 16 through tuesday, the 27th. legal marijuana which voters in washington and colorado approved could become big business generating millions in tax dollars. colorado's governor joked it's too early to break out those cheetos and goldfish. hang on. the federal government may sue to stop it. dc entertainment is going to sell all its comics including so superman and batman. the comics digital version also be available the same day they go available in comic stores. jetblue says congratulations team elephant. they did this for possibly winning a free trip out of the country for incorrectly predicting mitt romney would become president. a man elected a month after he dies. plus a public humiliation

punishment. we'll tell you why this peewee football player has become such a big internet sensation. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ female announcer ] caroline penry began using olay total effects in 2001. since then, there's been one wedding, 2 kids, and 43 bottles of olay total effects.

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a difference in the lives of others. let's get started at capella.edu i got your campbell's chunky soup. mom? who's mom? i'm the giants mascot. the giants don't have a mascot! ohhh! eat up! new jammin jerk chicken soup has tasty pieces of chicken with rice and beans. hmmm. for giant hunger! thanks mom! see ya! whoaa...oops! mom? i'm ok. grandma? hi sweetie! she operates the head. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. here is your first look at other news around the area. let's begin with a colossal blaze that phoenix firefighters could battle for several days. officials aren't sure what caused the massive fire. they say hey bales can ignite from excessive moisture and

bacteria. fire crews continue to fight the hay fire that's 200 feet high and 20 feet wide. nearly a month after his death republican candidate charles beasley won the race for commissioner. his name was left on the ballot. he received nearly 52% of the vote. appointment of the new commissioner falls to the governor. remember the woman who recklessly drove to the sidewalk to get on a school bus picking up kids. her traffic violation led to a $250 fine, a 30-day license suspension and major public humiliation. next tuesday and wednesday a judge ordered the 32-year-old ordered her to wear a sandwich board that reads, quote, only it yots drive on a sidewalk to avoid a school bus. sounds about ride. to sports where drat dra mat tick finishes. in over time in boston, kevin garnett grabs the rebound to start the fast break.

brandon bass make it is layup in a 100-94 win over the wizards. with just over a minute left to play in atlanta, the hawks' jeff teague hits a three-point shot to take the lead and edge indiana 89-86. in salt lake city playing like a girl has one peewee football player turning into an internet sensation. he's my hero. only her first year playing little league football. 9-year-old samantha gordon is looking like a natural. when the youngster turns on her jets, the boys can't keep up with her. she's scored 35 touchdowns, run close to 1200 yards. pretty impressive stats for the kid that keeps the other team chasing her ponytail. you go, girl. for another look at the weather, here is nbc meteorologist bill karins. >> i would love how you would be eating my dust if i would be -- >> i would not want to tackle you. we could try. it may be entertaining, if you

want to join me up here. we'll avoid that for today. >> we'll stick with thumb wars. good morning everyone. the nor'easter is just about done with its snow production, and it was very impressive, especially at its peak during the rush hour yesterday. the white on here shows the snow currently. it's kind of ending. it's all done in new jersey. lower portions of the hudson valley all done. a little light snow from hartford to new haven back into the high country. the winds and the rain will be the issue today in cape cod. the winds are very high, into the 40 to 50-mile-per-hour range. the winds over massachusetts, connecticut and rhode island will get weaker as we go throughout the morning. the worst part of this nor'easter all done with. the worst part of the snow is definitely done with. temperatures into the 40s today. the roads will have draw malt tick improvement. that's why a lot of the schools are only on delays instead of cancellations. a big snowstorm in montana and also the northern rockies. the rest of the country looks really great. tomorrow, the areas hit by the nor'easter will be back into the 50s.

hopefully the power crews can get things going and recover from sandy. just ahead, stephen colbert's agony of defeat. who is your favorite fictional president? entertainment is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] don't just reject convention. drown it out. introducing the all-new 2013 lexus ls f sport. an entirely new pursuit.

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i brought you another picture of me, just this past summer. my wife captured this moment. >> isn't that cute. >> brian williams. that is august this year. that is seaside heights. i have done some body work since. a cold snap has arrived here at the jersey shore.

>> i wish we had a towel. >> they tell us we are going to get ice cream later. it's time now for some entertainment news. the election, what is joe biden going to do? the vice president will be a guest star on nbc's "parks and recreation." >> i like that show. >> i love that show. >> biden has been mentioned on the snow before. amy poehler -- lady gaga announced she will be donating $1 million to the red cross to aid affected by hurricane sandy. she said she would not be the artist she is today if it weren't for the lower east side and brooklyn. what's the point?

[ cheers and applause ] . >> did you notice he's drinking a lime bud light? finally 500 people were asked who is their favorite fictional president from tv and movies, and the results are in. i don't know if i agree with it. harrison ford took the top spot as president marshall. second place went to morgan free man in "deep impact" and third, bill pullman in "independence day." where is michael douglas, "american president?" >> the contender. chris rock, "head of state," and robin williams as "theodore

roosevelt at "night as the museum." >> they're obviously not calling us. i'm lynn berry. this is "first look" on msnbc. "way too early" with willie geist starts right now. the re-election in hand, president barack obama turns now to face the challenges of the next four years with house speaker john boehner saying, quote, we are ready to be led. the question is do we have any reason to believe the two parties in washington will get along better in a second obama term? we'll see. an ugly nor'easter complete with rain, wind and snow whips into the same parts of new york new york and new jersey that were wiped out by hurricane sandy. the question s what does the new storm mean for those still waiting for the lights to be turned on ten days now a